Morocco strengthens tourism as a key engine of its economy

02-12-25

Morocco’s tourism sector is experiencing unstoppable growth. According to the latest data from the High Commission for Planning (HCP), tourism-related Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 38.4% in 2024 compared to 2019. As a result, its weight in the national economy rose from 6.8% to 7.3%.

This surge is not only the result of post-pandemic recovery but also points to a structural change. Spending by inbound tourism — that is, foreign visitors and Moroccans residing abroad — increased by 46.8%, reflecting a clear boom in international arrivals. At the same time, domestic tourism expenditure — by residents in Morocco, both for trips within the country and abroad — grew by 34.6%.

This strengthening of demand has translated into a 42.3% jump in sector output. Fiscal revenues from tourism have also risen significantly, with an increase of nearly 46% in net taxes linked to tourism consumption.

In terms of added value, tourism now represents approximately 6.8% of the Moroccan economy, while its contribution to GDP has gone from 5.7% to 6%. This growth underlines the transformation of tourism: from a complementary activity to a backbone of national development.

Strategic decisions lie behind this momentum. The country has invested in improving connectivity, expanding and facilitating air links from Europe and other regions, which has been crucial in boosting international arrivals. These measures are accompanied by strong efforts to diversify the tourism offer: not only beaches and imperial cities, but also programs that enhance the visitor experience — such as cultural routes, promotion of lesser-known destinations, gastronomy, nature, and active tourism — leveraging the country’s rich natural, cultural, and historical heritage.

Recent data show that in just the first eight months of 2025, Morocco received 13.5 million visitors, a 15% increase compared to the same period in 2024 and a new historic record.

This dynamism has a direct impact on employment: tourism generates tens — if not hundreds — of thousands of jobs, both directly and indirectly, thereby boosting local economies in many regions of the country.

The strengthening of tourism not only consolidates a key industry, but also acts as a catalyst for broader growth. By increasing demand for services — accommodation, transport, restaurants, retail, handicrafts — it creates a multiplier effect that benefits many productive sectors.

For Morocco, these figures are more than a temporary rebound; they confirm that tourism has become a structural pillar of its economy, capable of generating foreign currency, employment, regional development, and investment opportunities. In an international context marked by economic and geopolitical uncertainties, Morocco’s ability to anchor a robust and expanding tourism sector represents a clear competitive advantage.

The challenge now is to sustain this momentum: to maintain quality across the tourism offer, continue diversifying destinations and source markets, ensure socially, environmentally, and territorially sustainable growth, and consolidate the infrastructure required to make tourism a long-term driver of development.

For a country with such rich culture, history, and landscapes as Morocco, tourism is no longer just an economic activity: it is a national project.

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